


Meeting the Parents

by rhysespieses



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Fluff, I'm Bad At Tagging, Meeting the Parents, Post-Time Skip, Rayllum, i'm bad with additional tags, older rayllum, sappy callum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:47:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22697359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhysespieses/pseuds/rhysespieses
Summary: Our poor boy Callum faces his biggest challenge yet: trying to convince Rayla’s four parents to not kill him for dating Rayla. (Post-timeskip and everyone’s un-banished and out of a coin.)
Relationships: Callum & Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 184





	Meeting the Parents

**Author's Note:**

> This concept has been running through my mind since the end of Book 3 and we got Rayla's parent's names. I have no excuse

“You’ve got nothin’ to worry about,” Rayla said, adjusting her boyfriend’s scarf. They were back at Ethari’s house in the Silvergrove, just outside the front door. “Honestly, they’re all mad if they think you can’t be trusted at this point.” 

“And I’m about to walk into a room where three out of four of them are trained combatants and most likely have their weapons at the ready to slice my head off for so much as looking in your general direction. Who’s really mad here, Moonbeam?” Callum said. 

“They won’t hurt you, I promise. Plus, Ethari’s there with them, he knows you.” 

“He knows the me that made a bad attempt at an Earthblood Elf disguise and who made a bad tree pun. Plus, he was kind of in the throes of grief when I met him, so I don’t think that really counts.” 

Rayla smiled, rolled her eyes playfully and cupped Callum’s face in her hands. “You’ve got nothin’ to worry about, love,” she repeated. “They’re gonna love you. Not as much as I do, obviously, but they’ll love you.” 

Callum smiled. He knew somewhere in the back of his head that Rayla’s family wouldn’t hurt him- severely; he knew Rayla would manage to convince them not to. But if Runaan was anything to go by, Rayla’s family tended to be- _intense_ \- when it came to the care of his girlfriend. Ethari seemed pretty relaxed, but you never know. 

Rayla leaned in and gave him a small kiss. “You’re sure you don’t want me to go in there with you?” 

The human Mage took a deep breath and kissed her on the forehead, loving the fact that he was now tall enough to do that without needing to stand on his toes. “I think I’ll be okay.” He turned towards the door, took another deep breath and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. 

~~~~~~~

Apparently, there had been a hushed conversation that ceased immediately when Callum entered the room. Runaan and Tiadrin regarded him with set jaws and stern glares. Lain had a more curious glint in his eyes; Ethari greeted him with a warm smile, so he had that going for him at least. There were also no weapons in sight, that was also a plus. 

Callum had never felt more out of place in his life. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he took a few steps forward, hoping he didn’t stumble over his own feet. 

“H… hi,” he said nervously, his mind bouncing off the walls in joy when it registered that his voice didn’t crack. When no one responded, he looked to Ethari for a glimmer of hope, bowing slightly. “Trees to meet you.” 

The craftsman smiled the same way he did when he first met Callum. “Trees to meet you, too,” he replied. 

That prompted an interesting response from Runaan. He raised an eyebrow and looked at his husband. “What?” 

“It’s just an expression, love,” Ethari said, taking his husband’s hand and squeezing it. “You had to be there.” 

“But I don’t understand,” Runaan said, “trees do not meet.” 

“Maybe not the way we think,” Lain said. “Maybe they meet underground, you know, with the roots. Have you seen those things? Go for miles, they do…” 

“ _Boys_ ,” Tiadrin’s voice practically boomed, bringing everyone’s attention back to the task at hand, “if we could focus. Your name is Callum?” 

“Yes ma’am,” Callum said. He held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you all. Officially.” 

Tiadrin hesitantly accepted Callum’s hand, not sure of what to do; it became clear when Callum shook her hand. He did the same for Lain, Runaan and Ethari. 

“You can sit down,” Ethari said, gesturing to the chair just behind the human Mage. 

“And for Moon’s sake, kid, give that satchel strap a break,” Lain said, “you’re wringing the life out of it.” He sounded a bit terse, but he looked worried for Callum. Two out of four parents, not bad. If he could get either Tiadrin or Runaan to like him, he’d be relatively home free; Tiadrin was more likely, given his first- and only- interaction with Runaan on the battlements of Katolis Castle. 

Callum hesitantly lowered himself into the chair and tried to smile, but even he could tell it seemed nervous and forced. To try and calm his nerves, he took a deep breath. “Are you all feeling okay?” 

Tiadrin’s expression softened a bit into slight confusion. “What do you mean?” 

“Well, I mean, three of you were trapped in coins for an extended period of time, one of you lost a horn and nearly an arm too, and one of you grieved for years thinking you’d lost your life partner. That’s a lot for any one person to go through,” Callum explained. “It’s a strange question, but I thought I’d ask if you were all feeling okay. I know that’s important for some people to hear sometimes.” 

“We’re-” Runaan replied, cutting himself off. He sounded like he was going to give a gruff “we’re fine,” but it seemed like even he knew that wouldn’t suffice. He took Ethari’s hand and gave it a small squeeze. “We’ll be okay. Thank you- for asking.” 

“How’s Rayla been?” Lain asked suddenly. “We heard she’d been made a Ghost.” 

Callum caught Tiadrin’s expression twitch to sadness for a split second. It reminded him of when they arrived in the Silvergrove and she explained what being a Ghost was and how it had happened to her parents as well. 

“She’s had some rough spots, but she’s okay,” he answered. 

“We shouldn’t have left,” Tiadrin said, voice heavy. “We should’ve stayed at home, with her.” 

_Yeah, you damn well should’ve_ , Callum thought but didn’t say. As much as he wanted to take his frustration about Rayla’s situation out on her parents and guardians, he knew that wouldn’t do anything good. “Maybe,” he said instead. “But if you had, I don’t think she would be who she is now.” 

“Are you certain of that?” Runaan asked. His tone wasn’t curt or anything like that, it was genuinely curious. 

“Yes,” the human Mage replied. “Because I know I wouldn’t be who I am now without her. I would still be a weirdly privileged kid being forced into a mold I never really fit; falling on my butt with the weight of a sword, tumbling off a horse at full gallop and screwing up royally with poor battle plans.” 

Lain tried to suppress a laugh. “ _Screwing up royally_ …” he murmured, earning a grin from Callum and an eye roll from Tiadrin. 

“I wouldn’t be a Mage if Rayla hadn’t called me that when we first found the egg. It… made _sense_ , it sounded like a mold I could _fit_ and fit in it _my_ way.” Callum could feel his throat tightening slightly just thinking about it. “I’d never felt like that before in my life.”

The parental figures were transfixed on him, smiling in a way that a parent does when they’re proud of their child. 

“And- and I could sit here, and tell you how she pulled so much weight in getting Zym home, how she was willing to lose a hand, willing to run into fire to get me into the country, willing to defend Queen Zubeia with her life, but you guys already _know_ these things about her. You know she’s fast and strong and brave and dedicated, I don’t need to tell you all something you already know.” 

“She really means that much to you?” Ethari asked. 

Callum nodded. “She… _completes_ me. That’s the best way I can describe it.” 

There was a small pause until Tiadrin got up from her chair and went over to Callum, pulling him into a hug. It was- different from the other hugs he’d received from family members; it wasn’t strong and back-breaking like Aunt Amaya’s, not light and hesitant like his stepfather’s. It was firm but gentle… like his mother’s. 

“I swore to myself that if I ever got out of that wretched coin and back to my daughter, I wouldn’t care who she loved. Admittedly, that initial promise was intended more for Elven boys,” Tiadrin said, pulling away and looking Callum in the eyes, “but given everything you’ve done for her, and everything that’s happened… I just want her to be happy. And if she’s happy with you, then I can get behind that.” 

Callum wanted to cry as Tiadrin pulled him in for another hug. 

“I just hope you realize that if you do anything that endangers or hurts Rayla in any way, shape or form,” Runaan said, “that we’ll kill you.” 

“Bold of you to assume Rayla wouldn’t kill me herself,” Callum retorted, getting a laugh and smile out of everyone. 

Lain got up and gave him a firm pat on the back. “Take care of her where we can’t, alright?” 

“Yes sir.” 

“Oh, and if you really want to get on her good side, learn how to make moonberry surprise,” Ethari pipped up. “It’s more powerful on her than you think.” 

~~~~~~~ 

“Hey!” Rayla said when she saw Callum by the fountain later that day; he was sketching the stairs leading up to Ethari and Runaan’s house. 

The human Mage looked up, stood and put down his sketchbook, pulling his girlfriend in for a long hug. He nuzzled into the crook of her neck and smiled. 

“Aw, did you miss me that much?” she asked teasingly. 

“Yes,” Callum replied, totally serious. 

Rayla chuckled and Callum released her from the hug. “So, how did it go?” 

Callum tucked a strand of her silvery-white hair behind her ear and smiled. “I think they like me. Enough to not kill me, at least.” 

His girlfriend smiled. “See? Told you there was nothin’ to worry about.” 

“I’m sorry I ever doubted you,” Callum said, leaning in and giving Rayla a kiss on the forehead. 


End file.
